Pedal mechanism for player-pianos.



R; P. POTTER. I PEDAL MECHANISM FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1916-,

Patented June 26, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- llI/I/EA/ TOR Eofieli P1 053392" WITNESSES A TTOR/I/EIS R. P. POWER.

PEDAL MECHANISM FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 020.20.19xe.

1,231,295.? Patented June 26, 1917.

2 SHEkTS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? fa, y EQwa B-POZZW I B V ATTORNEYS ROBERT P. L G'ITER, OF SOUND BEACH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE C. D. POTTER CO., 01? STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A' CORPORATION OF COIQ'YECTICUT.

PEDAL MECHANISM FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

g gggg Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 26, 191% Application filed December 20, 1916. Serial No. 138,010.

To all whom it may concern: sections of the pedal-carrying frame to- Be it known that 1, ROBERT P. POTTER, agether; and

citizen of the United States, and a resident Fig. 4 is a composite view of the various of Sound Beach, inthe county of Fairfield parts of the mechanism that constitute the and State of Connecticut, have invented a invention.

new and Improved Pedal Mechanism for Referring tothe drawings. A designates 6.0

Player-Pianos, of which the following is a n ordinary bellows or pumping device for full. clear, and exact description. a player piano or the like, and B the pedal This invention relates to pedal mechanism mechanism for operating the bellows.

- adapted to be used in connection with player The pedal mechanism comprises a pair of pianos and the like for operating the l)0ll0\YS pedals 1 which are hingqdlyn ounted at; or air pump. their front ends on a frame 2 and are con The general objects of the present invennected at their upper portions individually tion are to improve and simplify the con-' to links that are in turn hingedly construction of mechanism of the character re m] t lnk t 4 fastened to th r l'errcd to so as to be reliable and etiicient part 5 of the bellows A, so that by the up,70 in use, comparatively simple and inexpenand down swinging movement of the pedals sive to manufacture, and so designed as to 1. the back part of the bellows will be opercomprise a minimum number of parts which 7 atcd to supply'the air desired. are asil and quickly assembled and oper The frame 2 of the pedal mechanism B is, ate without excessive play, looscncss or noise. as shown clearly in Fig. t, composed of two More specifically. the invention has for its sections of rod or equivalent stock, and each. object to provide a novel form of pedalsection is bent into L-form and comprises acarrying frame which is made of rod stock sido arm (3 and a front arm 7. The side and formed into two L-shapedsections which arms are adapted to be pivotally connected are coupled together by one of the supportat H. as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. to the ing feet or etpii-valcnt means to form a U- lu'acl-(cts h fastened to the front of the belshapcd frame or structure. on the front porlows. The front arms 7 are (llSSlll'lllfll as tion of which the feet are fastened and on to length and ar'c adapted to aline so as to which thepedalsarchingcdlv nuamtcd,such form an axis on which the pedals swing. feet serving as stops for holding the pcdals 'lhc two sections of the frame are, in the in place on the frame against lateral movepresent instance, comicctcd togetl'icr by a ment while allowing free swinging movecoupling element which consists of one of mcnt incident to the operation of a. bellows. the feet elements 10. The feet elements may With such objects in view, and others be of any desired construction but are shown which will appear as the description proas consisting of T-shapcd castings formed coeds. the invention comprises various novel with a central member 11 and a tuliular features of construction and arrangement of head 12 which has a bore 15, to be received parts which will be set forth with particuon the front part of the pedal-carrying laritv in the foliowing description and frame so as to support the frame off the cl: izns appended hereto. tioor on which the members 11 of the feet in the aceompanying drawings, which elements rest. The heads 12 are provided illustrate one embodiment of the invention, with set screws 1% which extend into the and wherein similar characters of reference bore 13 and are adapted to bind on the front indicate corresponding parts in all the views, arms 7 of the pedal-carrying frame, where Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of'the by turning of the feet element in the frame pedal mechanism and bellows, showing the and lateral movement are pr en" 3 To improvements; hingedlv connect the pedals w'th he name Fig. 2 is afront view of the pedai mechathe under side of each pedal is provided nism with the pedal-carrying frame thrown with spaced lugs 15 which are in line with upwardly to inoperative position each other and have alining openings 16 so Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View to be received on the arms 7 of the frame through one of the pedals and supporting sections 1. These lugs 15 are spaced apart feet to show the manner of connecting the just far enough to snuglv receive between pedals on the front art of the pedal-carrying frame without, however, interfering with the swinging movement of the pedals.

One of the feet elements, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, performs in addition to its function' of holding the frame ofi the floor and of preventing lateral movement of the associated pedal, the function of connecting the two sections of the frame together.

In assembling the parts, each foot'element is placed between the lugs 15 of its associated pedal, and these two are then slipped on the long arm 7, and when the parts are in the right position on the arm, the set-screws are tightened. The next pedal with its assembled foot element is slippedon the long arm 7 and then the section of the frame having the short arm is assembled by inserting the short arm in the outer lug 15 of the adjacent pedal, and partly into the associated foot element, as shown in Fig. 3, and then the set-screws are tightened so that the frame sections are thereby rigidly united. If it is desired to change the lateral relation of the pedals the set screws can be loosened and the pedals shifted toward or from each other, as desired, after whichthe set-screws are again tightened. A pedal mechanism of the character described is of neat and attractive appearance and at the same time durable and stable and provides for the free operation of the pedals without noise.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I de sire to have it understood that the device shown is inerely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope'of the appended claims.

-I-Iaving thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent:

1. A. pedal mechanism of the class demounted conjointly on both arms, and tubular elements arranged on the arms to hold the pedals against lateral displacement, one of said elements forming a connector between the sections of the frame.

2. A pedal mechanism of the class described comprising a swinging frame composed of a pair of oppositely disposed el bow sections having respectively alining front arms of different. lengths, pedals mounted on the arms, and feet. elements mounted on the arms and engaging the pedals to prevent lateral displacen'lent, one of the feet elements forming a connector between the said arms to unite the sections of the frame rigidly together 3. A pedal mechanism of the class described comprising a s\\-'inging frame composed of oppositely disposed L-shaped sections presenting side and front arms, pedals having apertured lugs through which the front arms extend, a- T-shaped foot element associated with each pedal having a tubular head set in between the lugs of the associated pedal and through which a front 'arm extends, and set-screws on the heads for clamping the feet element to the frame.

4. A pedal device of the class described, comprising a; swinging frame including a front bar, pedals having spaced apei-tured lugs through which the front bar ektends,

a foot element disposed between the lugs of each pedal and fastened to the front bar,

whereby the feet elements prevent lateral displacement of the pedals.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT P. POTTER.

Witnesses:

HARRY C. SCOFIELD, EFFIE J. MACK. 

